It’s fair to say that 99.99% of Hellboy fans agreed with the original, epic casting of Ron Perlman in the title role way back in 2004. Somehow Perlman not only nailed the look of Hellboy, but he also perfectly inhabited the personality of Mike Mignola’s cult creation. Perlman’s gruff demeanor combined with his depth of humanity really brought the character to life in both of Guillermo del Toro’s films.

These same hard-to-please fans were remarkable positive about David Harbour taking over the role — after they got over the shock and rage of the Perlman and del Toro’s exits from the project. Harbour’s performance in Netflix’s Stranger Things endeared him to audiences everywhere, and few doubt that he can bring something compelling and complex to Hellboy.

However, the one thing that’s perplexed many fans is how Harbour would look in-costume, under full Hellboy makeup. In the comics, Hellboy has the physique of a body-builder; he looks like he could go toe-to-toe with Thor or Superman. Harbour, at least in Stranger Things, was not even remotely fit (to be kind).

Today we got a first look at Harbour as Hellboy, as posted on the film’s official Twitteraccount:

I’m a bit dubious that what we’re seeing here is really David Harbour’s body, this image screams Photoshop job to me. I could be wrong, but Harbour is around my age and I can tell you that it is remarkably hard to get into that kind of shape in just one or two of years (Stranger Things debuted last summer) — I’m a CrossFit athlete, a martial artist, and I consume nearly 3,000 calories a day, and I’m not close to resembling the body in this photo.

That said, this image is powerful. I definitely appreciate the intensity expressed in Harbour’s face. We’re expecting a dark, rated-R Hellboy that embraces the evil and violence from Mignola’s works, and this image certainly conveys this.

Clearly, Harbour’s interpretation of Hellboy is distinct apart from Ron Perlman’s, but that’s to be expected. This is a new take on Mignola’s seminal work, and fans are excited to see how director Meil Marshall handles the material, and all indications continue to swing toward positive.

Does the new Hellboy, as portrayed by David Harbour, meet or exceed your expectations? Let us know in the comments down below!

Hellboy hits theaters in 2018 (TBD).

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